University  of  California  •  Berkeley 

From  the  Bequest 

of 
GLADYS  TBLDEN 


tf 


JACK  AND  JILL 


A    LOVE   STORY 


BY  W.   E.   BROWN 


Illusbrabed    b 


y 


PUBLISHED    FOR   THE   BENEFIT   OF 

THE    SILVER    STREET   KINDERGARTEN   SOCIETY 

OF   SAN    FRANCISCO,    CALIFORNIA 


WILLIAM    DOXEY 

San  Francisco 


Copyright 

1891 
BY  W.  E.  BROWN. 


CONTENTS. 

PUCK  TO  LYSANDER — Shakespeare    .        g     13 
JACK  AND  JiLL — Epigram,  Herrick's  Hes- 

perides       .          .          .          .          .          .     15 

.DEDICATION  TO  KATE  DOUGLAS  WIGGIN  .     17 
PREFATORY — Significance  of  Popular  Bal 
lads  .          .          »          .          .         '.-        .     19 
INTRODUCTION  —  Incidents   in   the    Life   of 

Elizabeth  Fleet  (Mother  Goose)  .     29 

JACK  AND  JILL — A    Love  Story  in   Aqua 
relles          ,  .          .          .          .     43 


JACK  AND  JILL — As  it  might  have  been 

written  by  Alfred  Tennyson  .  .  86 

JACK  AND  JILL  —  As  it  might  have  been 

written  by  Thomas  Buchanan  Read  .  90 

JACK  AND  JILL  —  As  it  might  have  been 

written  by  Thomas  Moore  .  .  95 

JACK  AND  JILL  —  As  it  might  have  been 

written  by  Walt  Whitman  .  .102 

JACK  AND  JILL  —  As  it  might  have  been 

written  by  Austin  Dobson  .  .106 

JACK  AND  JILL  —  As  it  might  have  been 
written  by  Algernon  Charles  Swin 
burne  .  .  .  .  .  .  107 

JACK  AND  JILL  —  As  written  by  Thomas 

Hood  in  twro  languages  . '  .  .109 


LIST    OF    DRAWINGS. 


Head  Piece,  Contents        .          .  .  .  7 

"Jill"     .          .          .          .          ..  .  I  27 

u  Their  cosy  little  home"          .  .  .  44 

Initial,  The  Water  Pail    .          .  .  .  45 

u  These  lovers  knew  no  thirst  "  .  .  46 

Initial,  Their  Dishes          .           .  .  ;  .  47 

"  They  hunted  high,  they  hunted  low  "  .  48 

Initial,  Blackberry  Vines            .  .  .  49 

Jill,  Revery     .           .           .  .      ~.  ...  50 

Initial,  Cupid  Laughing  .          .  .  .51 

"  She  gathers  up  her  soft  brown  hair  "  .  52 

Initial,  Her  Shoes   .           .          .  ..  .  53 

"  And  ties  it  round  her  dimpled  chin  "  .  54 


Initial,  Cupid  Shooting  From  a    Hat  .     55 

Leaving  Home           .          .          .          .  .     56 

Initial,  Landscape      .          »          .          ..  -57 

"Jack  takes  the  hand  she  offers  him"  .     58 

Tea  Pot,  Cups  and  Saucers       .          .  -59 

"And  life  itself  a  sweet  romance"    .  .60 

Initial,  Cupid  Shamed       .          .          .  .61 

"  Pushed  out  into  the  open  air  "  .62 

Initial,  Cherry  Blossoms  .          .          .  .     63 
'  They  climbed  and  paused  and  climbed  "     64 

Initial,  Up  Hill         .          .          .          .  .65 

The  lovers  rest          .          .          .          .  .66 

Initial,  Cupid  Resting       .          .          .  -67 

"Jill's  eyes  replied"          .          .          .  .68 

Tail  Piece,  Our  Water  Pails     . '        .  .69 

"  They  gathered  blossoms  by  the  way  "  .     70 


1 1 


Initial,  Wreathed  Letter  .          .          .  .     71 

u  They  heard  the  notes  of  unseen  larks  "      72 

Initial,  Disheveled    .          .          .          .  -73 

Crossing  the  brook  .          .          .          .  •     74 

Initial,  Water  Nymph     ....          .          .  -75 

"  And  now  they  see  reflected  there  "  .     76 

Tail  Piece,  Jack  and  Jill  .          .       '   .  .     77 

"  Their  shadows  nestling  side  by  side  "  .     78 

Initial,  Cnpid  Astonished            .          >   .  79 

Among  the  trees       .          .          .          .  .So 

Initial,  Cupid  and  Roses            .          .  .81 

"  And  when  her  sweet  consent  was  won  "      82 

Initial,   Cupid  Dipping  Hearts  in  a  Pail  .     83 

Head  Piece,  Addenda        .          .          .  -85 

Head  Piece,  Selections       ...          .  •   101 

Finis,  Sweet  Peas     .                    .          .  .no 


\2 


PUCK    TO    LYSANDER. 


On  the  ground  sleep  sound  ; 
I'll  apply  to  your  eye, 
Gentle  lover,   remedy. 
When  thou  wakest,  thou  takest 
True   delight  in   the  sight 
Of  thy  former  lady's  eye ; 
And  the  country  proverb  known, 
That  every  man  should  take  his  own, 
In  your  waking  shall  be  shown  : 
Jack  shall  have  Jill. 

Naught  shall  go  ill. 

SHAKESPEARE. 
Midsummer  Night 's  Dream,  Act  3,  Scene  2. 


EPIGRAM. 


When  Jill  complains  to  Jack  for  want  of  meate, 
Jack  kisses  Jill,  and  bids  her  freely  eate  ; 
Jill  sayes,  of  what  ?   sayes  Jack,  on  that   sweet 

kisse, 

Which  full  of  Nectar  and  Ambrosia  is. 
The  food  of  Poets  ;   so   I   thought,  sayes  Jill, 
That    makes    them    looke    so    lanke — so    ghost 
like  still. 

HERRICK'S  HESPERIDES,  1648. 


DEDICATION 

To  Kate  Douglas  Wiggin,  the  pioneer  in  free 
Kindergarten  work  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  this 
volume  is  inscribed,  as  a  slight  token  of  regard 
for  her  unquestioned  genius  as  an  instructor, 
and  her  charming  aptitude  as  an  author.  The 
free  Kindergarten  class,  gathered  through  her 
efforts,  on  Silver  Street,  San  Francisco,  Septem 
ber  i,  1878,  was  the  first  school  of  its  kind 
established  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  This 
modest  undertaking,  enlivened  at  first  by  the 
sweet  chatter  of  less  than  twenty  little  ones, 
was  the  initial  attempt  that  has  culminated  in 
that  meritorious  group  of  Kindergarten  schools 
on  this  Coast,  that  now  counts  its  teachers  by 
hundreds  and  its  pupils  by  thousands, 

17 


PREFATORY 


Of  the  sixty-five  millions  of  people,  living 
in  these  United  States,  it  may  be  asserted,  with 
out  risk  of  contradiction,  that  more  than  ten 
millions  have,  at  some  period  of  their  lives, 
been  familiar  with  Mother  Goose's  story  of 
Jack  and  Jill.  No  metrical  romance  could  be 
more  simple  in  construction  or  versification,— 
no  incident  could  be  more  briefly  narrated,  for 
the  edification  of  infant  minds. 

In  other  countries  and  at  other  periods,  a 
single  line  or  verse  of  a  ballad,  arranged  in 
rhythmic  iteration,  has  moved  multitudes  to 
deeds  of  daring,  and  sometimes  to  acts  of  vio- 


21 


lence.  During  the  reign  of  terror  in  France, 
millions  of  men  and  women  were  urged  on  to 
cruel  and  malicious  persecutions  by  the  wild 
refrain  : 

u  Ah !  ah  !  ca  ira,  ca  ira.  " 

The  evolution  of  this  popular  song  has  a 
romantic  and  tragic  interest.  "  Le  Carillon 
National,  "  the  air  to  which  the  words  were 
sung,  was  a  favorite  composition  with  the  Queen 
of  France,  and  the  music  room  of  the  Palace  of 
Versailles,  presided  over  by  Gluck,  was,  in  her 
happier  days,  filled  with  the  strains  of  this  capti 
vating  melody,  often  accompanied  on  the  harpsi 
chord  by  the  Queen  herself.  A  few  years  later, 


22 


by  the  awful  irony  of  fate,  the  hideous  hurdle 
that  bore  Marie  Antoinette  to  the  guillotine  was 
surrounded  by  a  tumultuous  crowd  of  men  and 
women,  singing  to  the  tune  she  had  loved  so 
well  the  terrific  words  : 

"  Ah  !  ah  !  ca  ira,  ca  ira ! 
A  bas,  les  aristocrats.  " 

A  hundred  years  earlier,  all  the  cities  of  Eng 
land  were  ringing  with  a  melody  that  assumed 
the  startling  proportions  of  a  national  song : 

u  Lero,  lero,  lilli  burlero, 
Lero,  lero,  bullen  a-la.  " 

Senseless  as  the  words  appear  they  were  set 
to  a  catching  air  that  was  whistled,  played,  or 


sung,  by  half  the  population  of  the  kingdom. 
Macaulay  says  of  it :  "  From  one  end  of  England 
to  the  other  all  classes  were  constantly  singing 
this  idle  rhyme,  "  and  in  Boswell's  Life  of  John 
son,  Beauclerk  is  represented  as  saying :  "  The 
ballad  of  Lilliburlero  was  once  in  the  mouths  of 
all  the  people  of  this  country,  and  is  said  to 
have  had  a  great  effect  in  bringing  about  the 
revolution,"  (of  1688). 

But  the  time-worn  quatrain  of  Jack  and  Jill 
has  a  simpler  significance  and  a  more  peaceful 
mission.  From  Shakespeare's  time  to  the  pres 
ent  day,  this  familiar  conjunction  of  names 
has  been  used  to  represent  the  exponents,  in 
rustic  life,  of  the  sweet  affluence  of  early  love,  as 


24 


Darby  and  Joan  represent  the  matured  affection 
and  loving  attributes  of  a  happy  married  life, 
supplemented  by  an  old  age  of  fireside  comforts 
and  genial  surroundings.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that 
this  literary  venture  will  not  be  the  means  of 
removing  the  amiable  personality  of  Jack  and 
Jill  from  the  entrancing  realm  of  ideality  to  the 
more  commonplace  sphere  of  individual  exper 
ience.  There  is  no  intention  to  dispel  an  illusion 
so  fascinating  by  an  agency  so  unpretending. 
It  is  a  consummation  much  to  be  desired,  that 
the  sweet  fair}-  tales  of  Perrault  and  the  Countess 
d'Aulnoy,  the  Melodies  of  Mother  Goose,  the 
absorbing  story  of  Santa  Clans,  the  historic 
wonders  of  William  Tell's  heroism,  and  all  nar- 


ratives  of  a  kindred  class,  may  escape  the  vandal 
touch  of  iconoclastic  meddlers  ;  that  recitals 
like  these,  dedicated  to  childhood's  dreamful  life, 
may  forever  remain  among  the  cherished  remin 
iscences  of  that  story-telling  and  story-listening 
era,  which  all  look  back  upon  as  a  season  of 
unalloyed  delight.  It  may  be  urged  by  some 
that  our  subject  is  too  simple  to  be  thoughtfully 
considered ;  but  when  it  is  well  known  that  a 
distinguished  German  naturalist  wrote  two  pon 
derous  volumes  upon  the  growth,  beauty  and 
vitality  of  the  wings  of  a  butterfly,  it  will  not  be 
thought  a  trivial  matter  to  devote  an  idle  hour 
to  the  distinctive  characteristics  of  Jack  and  Jill. 


*m 


27 


INTRODUCTION 


On  the  3ist  of  August,  in  the  year  1688,  a 
notable  event  occurred  in  connection  with  the 
literary  history  of  England.  On  that  day,  John 
Bunyan,  the  author  of  Pilgrim's  Progress,  died 
in  the  city  of  London. 

During  the  same  month  of  the  same  year, 
there  was  born  in  the  city  of  Boston,  in  the 
State  of  Massachusetts,  Elizabeth  Vertigoose, 

whose  parents  subsequently  changed  their  name 

• 
to  Vergoose,  and   finally  abbreviated  it  to  Goose. 

This  infant  girl,  born   into  the  world  at  about 
the  same  time  that  Bunyan  left  it,  became  the 


author  of  a  little  volume,  published  in  1719, 
called  u  Songs  for  the  Nursery,  or  Mother 
Goose's  Melodies  for  Children. " 

It  will  not  be  thought  inappropriate  to  con 
sider  the  lives  and  productions  of  these  two 
authors,  as  having  similar  characteristics  and 
similar  results.  Both  were  born  in  poverty  and 
of  obscure  parentage,  and  the  daily  avocations 
and  personal  surroundings  of  both  were  simple, 
primitive  and  uninviting.  With  an  education 
limited  to  the  merest  rudiments  of  English  study, 
they  both  produced,  in  a  widely  different  sphere, 
literary  work  that  found  a  more  enormous  circu 
lation  and  a  more  varied  class  of  readers  than 
any  other  secular  writings  of  ancient  or  modern 
times. 

32 


Both  of  them  lived  in  an  era  of  puritanic 
severity,  of  wide-spread  superstition,  and  of  bar 
baric  persecution.  Both  were  early  imbued  with 
strict  orthodox  principles,  and  strange  as  it  may 
seem,  their  literary  success  and  their  literary 
fame  were  found  in  the  alluring  realm  of  alle 
gory.  With  the  sad  experience,  the  unjust 
persecution,  and  the  embittered  life  of  Bunyan 
all  the  world  is  familiar;  but  of  the  uneventful 
career  of  the  other  personage  mentioned  little 
is  known.  In  the  office  of  the  City  Registrar 
of  Boston  we  find  recorded,  under  date  of  June 
8,  1715,  the  marriage,  by  the  Rev.  Cotton 
Mather,  of  Elizabeth  Goose,  Spinster,  to  Thomas 
Fleet,  Printer.  Elizabeth  was  then  twenty-six 


33 


3rears  of  age,  and  her  husband  was  twenty-eight. 
He  came  to  Boston  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
and  started  a  printing  house,  doing  most  of  the 
work  himself  upon  a  hand  press ;  and  it  was 
upon  this  hand  press  that  was  worked  the  first 
edition  of  Mother  Goose's  Melodies.  If  a 
veritable  copy  of  this  first  edition  could  now 
be  found,  with  its  first  page  illustrated  by  a 
long-necked  goose,  the  bibliomaniacs  of  to-day 
would  emulate  each  other  in  bidding  for  its 
possession. 

After  the  wedding  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fleet  took  up 
their  residence  with  the  bride's  mother,  Mrs. 
Goose,  who  was  at  that  time  a  widow  living  in 
Pudding  Lane,  now  called  Devonshire  Street. 


34 


In  1720  a  son  was  born  to  the  expectant  house 
of  Fleet,  who  was  in  due  time  christened  John. 
Jack,  as  he  was  called  in  the  home  circle,  was 
a  charming  boy,  and  the  maternal  instincts  of 
the  grandmother  wrere  stirred  to  their  loving 
depths  by  this  sweet  scion  of  her  race. 

Here  we  have  an  ideal  home  of  a  mechanic 
of  the  colonial  period :  The  stalwart  father 
and  bread-winner,  working  at  his  trade ;  the 
mother,  busy  with  household  cares ;  and  the 
grandmother,  watching  with  gentle  assiduity 
the  sweet  inmate  of  the  nursery.  Three  gen 
erations  of  loving  hearts,  beating  with  sympa 
thetic  throbs,  and  culminating  in  the  glad  fru 
ition  of  paternal,  maternal  and  grand-maternal 


35 


joys  ;  each  happy  in  the  performance  of  cher 
ished  and  genial  duties,  and  each  feeling  that 
the  air  of  their  humble  home  is  made  musical 
by  the  gentle  cooing  of  the  infant  boy.  As 
the  months  go  by,  Jack  becomes  the  life  and 
pride  of  the  family  circle.  His  special  pet, 
however,  is  his  grandmother,  to  whose  sole 
care  he  is  most  frequently  consigned ;  to  her 
loving  lips  he  gives  his  sweetest  kisses,  and 
to  her  listening  ears  his  earliest  words.  His 
gentle  presence  and  personal  contact  bring 
new  comfort  into  her  life,  and  sweep  away  the 
growing  cares  of  age. 

The  opportunities   for  reading  and  study  in 
those  days,  for  families  like  this,  were  exceed- 


ingly  rare.  Mrs.  Fleet  had  none  of  the  ad 
vantages  of  a  library  to  stimulate  her  mental 
powers.  With  the  exception  of  her  Bible  and 
Pilgrim's  Progress,  the  books  she  loved  the 
best  and  read  the  most  were  Bishop  Burnett's 
History  of  the  Reformation,  Baxter's  Call  to 
the  Unconverted,  Fox's  Book  of  Martyrs,  and 
Milton's  Paradise  Lost.  In  view  of  an  experi 
ence  so  circumscribed,  it  would  seem  to  be  a 
striking  evidence  of  the  intellectual  elasticity 
of  Elizabeth  Fleet's  brain,  that  it  could  with 
stand  the  sombre  and  depressing  influences  of 
literature  like  this.  In  the  composition  of  all 
these  works  the  form  of  imagery  prevailed, 
and  the  genius  of  allegory  controlled  the  evo- 


37 


lution  and  elucidation  of  the  narrative.  It  is 
not  strange,  therefore,  that  this  young  mother 
should  have  imbibed  the  same  spirit  in  the 
construction  of  her  melodies. 

In  these  later  days,  when  her  songs  of  the 
nursery  are  sweetly  intoned  by  the  mother's 
gentle  voice,  the  infant  ear  catches  the  rhythm 
and  the  infant  mind  treasures  up  the  affluent 
flow  of  words.  But  the  adult  reader  sees  a 
deeper  meaning  in  the  grotesque  lines,  and 
oftentimes  takes  great  pleasure  in  the  attempted 
solution  of  these  jingling  couplets,  so  fraught 
with  weird  and  quaint  superstitions. 

In  1723,  when  Jack  Fleet  was  three  years 
old,  the  busy  housekeeper,  inspired  by  the 


crooning  lullabies  of  grandmother  Goose,  pre 
pared  and  published  a  second  edition  of  her 
melodies,  and  dedicated  the  volume  to  her 
little  son.  This  new  publication  contained 
several  versified  narratives  not  found  in  the 
first  edition.  Notable  among  these  were  Jack 
Sprat,  Jack  Horner,  Jack  the  Giant  Killer, 
Jack  and  the  Bean  Stalk,  The  House  that  Jack 
Built,  and  Jack  and  Jill :  the  latter  taking 
rank  among  the  sweetest  and  choicest  of  our 
author's  allegorical  work.  It  does  not  need 
the  cipher  and  cryptogram  of  an  Ignatius 
Donnelly  to  fathom  the  charming  love  sketch 
that  lies  hidden  in  these  four  lines  : 


Jack  and  Jill  went  up  the  hill, 
To  get  a  pail  of  water ; 

Jack  fell  down  and  broke  his  crown, 

And  Jill  came  tumbling  after. 
Jack  and  Jill  are  two  ideal  lovers, — too  young 
to  love  wisely,  but  not  too  young  to  love  well. 
The  hill  mentioned  in  the  verse  represents 
the  difficult  love  problem  they  are  determined 
to  solve ;  their  going  up  simply  means  an 
honest  desire  to  overcome  all  obstacles  that  an 
unsympathizing  world  may  put  in  their  way. 
The  empty  pail,  that  they  carry  between  them, 
symbolizes  a  life  without  love, — an  existence 
without  hope ;  and  the  sweet  anticipation  of 
reaching  the  summit,  and  filling  the  pail,  re- 


40 


veals  to  them  the  joys  that  are  in  store  upon 
the  culmination  of  their  ardent  desires.  Jack 
and  Jill,  though  young  in  years,  are  inspired 
by  the  instincts  of  older  heads.  They  sen 
sibly  determine  to  restrain  the  rapture  of  their 
youthful  hearts  for  a  brief  period,  until  the 
serious  realities  of  life  shall  assume  a  rosier 
hue.  But  when  each  feels  the  throbbing  pulse 
and  the  warm  hand-clasp  of  the  other,  on 
their  journey  up  the  hill,  their  wise  resolves 
are  scattered  to  the  winds  ;  Jack,  no  longer 
able  to  control  the  loving  impulses  of  his 
heart,  "  falls  down,"  and  Jill,  in  genial  and 
sympathetic  mood,  comes  tumbling  after. 
Were  it  possible  for  the  spirit  of  the  author 


of  the  original  Jack  and  Jill  to  revisit  the 
city  of  her  birth,  and  she  were  called  upon 
to  rewrite  the  story  of  these  two  rustic  lovers, 
she  would,  perhaps,  with  the  experiences  of 
the  nineteenth  century  before  her,  and  the 
culture  of  her  native  city  all  about  her,  throw 
allegory  aside,  and  give  a  new  version  of  her 
familiar  story. 


JACK   AND   JILL 

A  LOVE  STORY 
IN  AQUARELLES 


44 


I. 
ACK  and  Jill  went  up  the  hill, 

With  empty  water  pail  they  started ; 
No  thought  of  accident  or  ill, — 

Jack  full  of  fun,  and  Jill  light-hearted. 

II. 
They  left  their  cozy  little  home, 

Their  kitchen  fire  as  yet  unlighted; 
Thus  in  the  crispy  air  to  roam, 

Each  satisfied,  and  each  delighted. 


45 


III. 
HEY  could  not  make  a  cup  of  tea, 

Nor  coffee  boil,  not  even  a  little ; 
Where'er  they  turned,  they'd  always  see 

An  empty  pail  or  empty  kettle. 

IV. 

But  yet  these  lovers  knew  no  thirst, 
Dreaded  no  future,  as  they  ought-ter, 

Although  'twas  obvious  from  the  first, 
Their  cottage  was  devoid  of  water. 


47 


n 


48 


.  i 


V. 
HEY  hunted  high — they  hunted  low — 

No  instant  did  their  efforts  stop ; 
Jack  said  "  There's  none ;"  Jill  said  "  That's  so 

There  isn't  a  drop  —  there  isn't  a  drop." 

VI. 
Jack  sweetly  smiled  and  said  to  Jill, 

In  accents  soft  that  never  fail  — 
"  I  know  a  spring  far  up  the  hill, 

Let's  go  there,  darling,  with  our  pail." 


49 


VII. 
IS  tender  glance,  his  thoughtful  words, 

Touched  the  sweet  sense  of  gentle  Jill, 
As  oft  the  mellow  song  of  birds, 

Will  bring  to  lovers'  hearts  a  thrill. 


VIII. 
Jill  wants  a  holiday,  and  sees 

The  very  thing  she  wants,  in  sight ; 
A  day  with  Jack  among  the  trees, 

A  picnic  full  of  rare  delight. 


\  * 


I 

1  HE  hastens  to  an  inner  room, 

And  hurries  on  a  dress  of  chintz ; 
Fair  fabric  from  a  Lyons  loom, 
A  symphony  in  floral  tints. 


40 


She  gathers  up  her  soft  brown  hair, 

A  shining,  glimmering,  rippling  screen ; 

And  with  it  trims  her  forehead  fair, 
With  a  low  fringe  of  golden  sheen. 


53 


54 


XI. 

then  puts  on  her  broad  straw  hat, 
And  ties  it  round  her  dimpled  chin ; 
And  Jack's  warm  heart  goes  pit-a-pat, 
To  see  Jill's  smiling  face  within. 

XII. 
She  grasps  her  flowing  skirts  with  care, 

And  lifts  them  with  a  modest  grace, 
Till  her  fair  ankles  gleaming  there, 

Bring  rosy  flushes  to  her  face. 


55 


HE  steps  upon  the  bending  grass, 
Light-footed  as  a  bounding  fawn ; 

The  loveliest,  gentlest,  fairest  lass, 
That  ever  trod  an  emerald  lawn. 


XIV. 
Her  bonny  face  is  lit  with  smiles, 

Her  blue  eyes  sparkle  in  the  sun ; 
Her  laughing  words  and  artless  wiles, 

By  Jack  are  treasured  one  by  one. 


57 


XV. 

Her  winning  ways  are  all  so  rare— 
He  lays  his  rapture  at  her  feet ; 

She  seems  so  gracious  and  so  fair  — 
So  sweetly  pure — so  purely  sweet. 


XVI. 

Jack  takes  the  hand  she  offers  him, 

A  hand  ungloved,  and  soft,  and  warm ; 

He  presses  it  with  earnest  vim, 
And  gazes  on  that  lovely  form. 


59 


XVII. 

puts  his  arm  around  her  waist, 
And  places  something  on  her  lips  — 
Something  delicious  to  the  taste  — 
And  more  delicious  as  he  sips. 

XVIII. 
Jill's  head  is  bent  in  graceful  poise, 

And  Jack  looks  down,  till  glance  meets  glance; 
With  them  the  earth  is  full  of  joys, 

And  life  itself  a  sweet  romance. 


62 


XIX. 

OW  turn  they  from  their  cottage  door, 
Beneath  those  radiant  summer  skies ; 

Of  mutual  love  an  endless  store, 
Reflected  in  each  other's  eyes. 


XX 

Thus,  hand  in  hand,  this  loving  pair, 
On  culinary  thoughts  intent, 

Pushed  out  into  the  morning  air, 

And  jointly  braved  that  steep  ascent. 


64 


XXI. 

P  toward  the  summit  of  the  hill, 
Each  holding  by  the  empty  pail, 

They  climbed  and  paused — and  climbed,  until 
Their  home  was  hidden  in  the  vale. 


XXII. 
Anon,  they  rested  in  the  shade, 

And  watched,  with  ever-glad  surprise, 
The  flashing  beauties  of  the  glade  — 

The  gilded  wings  of  butterflies. 


66 


XXIII. 

'  HEY  heard  the  murmur  of  the  bees, 
And  the  soft  low  of  distant  herds, 
i\  That  fed  beneath  the  sheltering  trees  — 

r  Alive  with  flashing,  twittering  birds. 


XXIV. 

Jill,  light  of  foot,  flew  on  apace, 

Thinking  she  first  might  reach  the  water ; 
But  Jack,  impatient,  made  the  race, 

And,  eyes  all  bright  and  smiling,  caught  he: 


68 


XXV. 

"  Don't  hurry  so,"  said  honest  Jack, 
u  In  sunshine  or  in  cloudy  weather, 

We'll  neither  falter  nor  turn  back, 
But  fill  our  water-pails  together." 

XXVI. 

Jill's  eyes  replied,  and  it  would  seem, 

""•""  51 

They  spoke  a  volume  as  they  gazed, 
So  soft  their  hue,  so  bright  their  gleam, 
As  to  his  face  her  look  she  raised. 


69 


7" 


XXVII. 

HEY  gathered  blossoms  by  the  way, 
And  listened  to  the  wood  dove's  call ; 

Jack  frank  and  happy  —  blithe  and  gay  — 

. 
Jill  daintiest  blossom  of  them  all. 

XXVIII. 
The  skies  grew  brighter  as  they  walked, 

The  earth  seemed  fairer  where  they  ranged 
And  as  they  wandered  there  and  talked, 

The  very  landscape's  tints  were  changed. 


^HK 

^^  xxix. 

HEY  found  new  joys  in  every  place  - 

The  grassy  fields  seemed  lovely  parks  ; 
And  floating  down  etherial  space, 

The}-   heard  the  notes  of  unseen  larks. 

XXX. 

The  hedge  rows  glistened  bright  with  dews 
Wild  flowers  were  jewels  in  their  eyes- 

A  panoply  of  crimson  hues, 

And  purple  shades,  and  yellow  dyes. 


74 


XXXI. 

HE  bright  drops,  from  the  lingering  haze, 
Seemed  only  glittering  for  them  — 

Grouping  themselves  on  fairy  sprays, 
And  every  spray  a  diadem. 

. 

XXXII. 
Along  the  brook,  through  bending  ferns, 

They  saw  the  sunlight's  fluttering  beam ; 
And  heard,  among  its  curves  and  turns, 

The  murmur  of  the  rippling  stream. 


75 


XXXIII. 
By  the  sweet  waters'  soothing  flow, 

They  gently  rest  on  mossy  seats, 
And  words  of  love  in  accents  low, 

Are  whispered  in  those  calm  retreats. 

XXXIV. 

And  now  they  reach  the  crystal  pool, 
And  now  they  see  reflected  there, 

Upon  that  mirror,  smooth  and  cool, 
Their  radiant  faces,  bright  and  fair. 


77 


- 


£ 


XXXV. 

ND  as  they  linger  near  the  shore, 

Upon  its  clear,  unruffled  tide, 
The  sunlight  paints  in  sweet  relief, 
Their  shadows  nestling  side  by  side. 

XXXVI. 

Each  loving  glance,  from  each,  invites 
A  gentler  phase  of  life's  young  dream 

And  every  happy  movement  writes 
Its  sweet  caresses  on  the  stream. 


79 


8o 


&t(     ' 


XXXVII. 

HE  hours  seem  minutes  as  they  fly  — 
The  waning  day  declines  too  fast ; 

And  every  hour  that  passes  by, 
Is  all  too  beautiful  to  last. 

XXXVIII. 
Meanwhile,  "  Our  empty  pail  is  here," 

Said  smiling  Jack  to  smiling  Jill  ; 
"  Let's  fill  it  to  the  brim,  my  dear, 

And  then  we'll  hasten  down  the  hill." 


Si 


82 


XXXIX. 

O  sooner  said  than  it  was  done, 

Jill's  heart  was  true,  when  Jack  besought  her; 
And  when  her  sweet  consent  was  won, 
The  water-pail  was  full  of  water. 


ADDENDA 


JACK  AND  JILL 


AS     IT     MIGHT    HAVE     BEEN     WRITTEN 


BY  THE  AUTHOR  OF 


LADY  CLARA  VERE  DE  VERE " 


Honest  Jack  and  pretty  Jill, 

From  me  yon  shall  not  win  a  word, 
About  your  journey  up  the  hill- 

I  merely  hint  at  what  occurred. 
You  crossed  the  lawn,  at  early  dawn, 

And  lingered  slowly  as  you  went, 
To  gather  daisies  on  your  way  — 

To  sniff  the  wild  flowers'  earliest  scent. 


86 


Pretty  Jill  and  honest  Jack, 

A  lowlier  poet  must  rehearse, 
How  you  went  up  the  hill  and  back, 

Then  tell  your  story  all  in  verse. 
With  empty  pail  you  left  the  vale, 

Each  bound  to  each  by  playful  oath, 
That  you  would  brave  that  rugged  hill  — 

And  love  lent  eagerness  to  both. 

Honest  Jack  and  pretty  Jill, 

Your  loving  hearts  are  full  of  mirth ; 
The  sweetest  annals  but  fulfil 

The  simple  story  of  your  birth. 
If  some  should  fear,  as  you  appear, 

While  on  your  upward  march  you  went, 
That  you  might  falter  on  your  way, 

Others  would  smile  at  your  descent. 


87 


Pretty  Jill  and  honest  Jack, 

Why  did  you  climb  that  hill  at  all  ? 
Why  venture  on  that  dubious  track, 

And  risk  your  chances  for  a  fall  ? 
Water  is  found  on  lower  ground, 

In  springs  that  gush  and  streams  that  flow ; 
Far  better  then  to  stay  near  home. 

And  take  life  easy  as  you  go. 

Honest  Jack  and  pretty  Jill, 

I  see  you  in  your  garden  seats, 
Where  graceful  lilies  lift  their  heads, 

And  fragrant  roses  pour  their  sweets. 
No  millionaire,  that  breathes  the  air, 

Can  ever  boast  such  happy  hours, 
As  you  enjoy  from  day   to  day, 

Within   your  gates  —  among  your  flowers. 


88 


Then,  pretty  Jill  and  honest  Jack, 

There  seems  no  reason  for  your  climb, 
Along  that  upward  path  and  back — 

It  was  a  very  waste  of  time ; 
With  snch  a  wealth  of  rustic  health, 

You  should  be  happier  far  than  they, 
Who  close  the  doors  of  lovely  homes, 

And  wrander  all  the  live-long  day. 


\V.    E.    B. 


89 


JACK  AND  JILL 

AS     IT    MIGHT    HAVE     BEEN    WRITTEN 
BY   THE    AUTHOR   OF 

"  My  soul  to-day 

Is  far  away, 
Sailing  the  Vesuvian  Bay." 


Jack  and  Jill 

Went  up  the  hill, 
Their  empty  water-pail  to  fill ; 

The  morning  sun 

Had  just  begun 
To  kiss  the  dew  drops  one  by  one. 


Jack's  spirits  rise 

In  glad  surprise, 
To  see  the  smile  in  Jill's  blue   eyes, 

They  seem   to  him, 

Full  to  the  brim, 
With  lights  that  gleam,  and   shades  that  swim, 

Jill  loves  to  go 

Where  zephyrs  blow— 
And  when  the  early  golden  glow 

Touches  her  rare 

And  soft  brown  hair, 
Jack  sees  a  lovelier  radiance  there. 


In  dreams,  by  boat, 

They  skim  and  float, 
From  scenes  near  home  to  scenes  remote ; 

In  happier  dreams, 

They  seem  to  roam, 
From  scenes  remote  to  scenes  near  home. 

They  love  to  climb, 

And  pass  the  time, 
On  simple  slopes  or  hills  sublime ; 

And  lowing  cows, 

Neath  drooping  boughs, 
Their  childhood  memories  will  arouse. 


Their  thoughts  are  told 

In  words  of  gold — 
They  each  to  each  their  hopes  unfold. 

At  work  or  play, 

Throughout  the  day, 
Their  cares  and  griefs  are  put  away. 

Where'er  they  meet, 

In  lane  or  street, 
Their  lives  are  lovely,  pure  and  sweet ; 

Each  hour  of  light  — 

Each  day  and  night  — 
A  very  billow  of  delight. 


93 


When  sunset  pours, 

Through  open  doors, 
Its  purple  tints  and  golden  stores  ; 

They  bid  good-byes 

To  sunset  skies, 
And  chant  their  evening  lullabies. 


W.    K.    B. 


JACK  AND  JILL 

AS     IT    MIGHT     HAVK     BEEN    WRITTEN 
BY   THK    AUTHOR    OF 

' '  One  morn  a  Peri  at  the  gate 
Of  Eden  stood,  disconsolate." 


One  morn  his  dearie,  at  the  gate 
Of  Jack's  rose-garden,  stood  elate ; 
Watching  with  clear  and  tranquil  eyes, 

The  early  dawn's  imperial  flushes, 
Spreading  along  the  eastern  skies, 

The  first  of  bright  Aurora's  blushes. 
Each  ray  but  added  to  the  grace 
And  beauty  of  that  rustic  face. 


95 


'Twas  an  enchanting  scene  and  fair, 
To  see  Jill  and  her  lover  there  — 
Counting  the  minutes,  one  by  one, 
Ere  they  should  greet  the  rising  sun. 
An  empty  water-pail  is  swinging 

Between  the  two,  as  thus  they  stay  — 
Both  smiling  sweet,  and  sweetly  singing, 

Their  anthems  to  the  coming  day. 
They  have  a  hill  to  climb,  and  so, 
Their  thoughts  go  upward  with  the  glow. 

The  rosy  dawn  comes  on  apace, 
And  morning  perfumes  fill  the  place ; 
As  sturdy  Jack  and  lovely  Jill 
Commence  their  journey  up  the  hill. 
They  watch  the  sun,  now  rising  higher, 
Without  a  care — with  no  heart  troubles 


96 


Except  that  on  their  kitchen  fire, 

No  sparkling  water  boils  and  bubbles. 

And  so  it  is,  this  happy  pair  — 

This  nature's  son  and  nature's  daughter  — 

A  rugged  steep  thus  jointly  dare, 
To  fill  their  empty  pail  with  water. 

And  now  the  purling  springs  they  seek, 
With  lips  that  smile  and  smiles  that  speak ; 
And  thus  it  comes — when  eyes  meet  eyes, 
With  questions  mute,  and  mute  replies, 
They  find  that  each  is  giving  each, 
A  thrilling  language  without  speech. 
Their  life  is  one  of  happy  rest, 
With  youth  their  lot,  and  love  their  guest. 


97 


In  gentle  mood,  they  loiter  long, 
With  here  and  there  a  burst  of  song ; 
The  slow  receding  landscape  seems 
Like  pictures  painted  in  their  dreams ; 
No  chilling  or  disturbing  breeze, 
Rustles  the  foliage  of  the  trees  ; 
The  shadows  linger  cool  and  still, 
While  radiant  sunbeams  kiss  the  hill ; 
And  Jack  sees  every  brilliant  hue 
Reflected  in  Jill's  eyes  of  blue. 

And  thus  they  \vander  to  and  fro, 
Laughing  and  singing  as  they  go ; 
Their  every  impulse  fresh  and  fair, 
Their  voices  filling  all  the  air. 


9s 


Like  those  gray  cooing  birds,  whose  throats 
Send  from  afar,  whene'er  they  meet, 

Their  tremulous  and  tender  notes, 
So  soft,  so  plaintive  and  so  sweet ; 

That  pure  love  language  of  the  birds, 

Expressed  in  warblings,  not  in  words. 

With  snch  blithe  accents,  Jack  and  Jill 
Sing  to  each  other  on  the  hill. 

W.    E.    B. 


99 


1 


'I  i  u 


JACK  AND  JILL 

AS    IT     MIGHT    HAVE     BKEN     WRITTEN    BY 

WALT    WHITMAN 


I  celebrate  the  personality  of  Jack  ! 

I   love    his   dirty   hands,   his   tangled    hair,   his 

locomotion  blundering. 
Each  wart  upon  his  hands  I  sing. 
Paeans  I  chant  to  his  hulking  shoulder-blades. 
Also  Jill ! 
Her  I  celebrate ! 

I,  Walt,  of  unbridled  thought  and  tongne, 
Whoop  her  up ! 


102 


What's  the  matter  with  Jill  ? 

Oh,  she's  all  right! 

Who's  all  right? 

Jill.   .:••  ; 

Her  golden  hair,  her  suiistruck  face,  her  hard 
and  reddened  hands ; 

So,  too,  her  feet,  hefty,  shambling. 

I  see  them  in  the  evening,  when  the  snn  em 
purples  the  horizon,  and  through  the  dark 
ening  forest  aisles  are  heard  the  sounds  of 
myriad  creatures  of  the  night. 

I  see  them  climb  the  steep  ascent  in  quest  of 
water  for  their  mother. 

Oh,  speaking  of  her,  I  could  celebrate  the  old 
ladv  if  I  had  time. 


KM 


She  is  simply  immense ! 

But  Jack  and  Jill  are  walking  up  the  hill. 

(I  didn't  mean  that  rhyme.) 

I  must  watch  them. 

I  love  to  watch  their  walk, 

And  wonder  as  I  watch  ; 

He  stoop-shouldered,  clumsy,  hide-bound 

Yet  lusty, 

Bearing  his  share  of  the  i-lb.  bucket  as  tho'  it 

were  a  paper-weight. 
She,  erect  standing,  her  head  uplifting, 
Holding,  but  bearing  not  the  bucket. 
They  have  reached  the  spring. 
They  have  filled  the  bucket. 
Have  you  heard  the  uThe  Old  Oaken  Bucket?" 


104 


I  mourn  the  downfall  of  my  Jack  and  Jill. 
I  see  them  hill  descending,  obstacles  not  heed 

ing. 
I   see  them  pitching  headlong,  the   water  from 

the  pail  out-pouring,  a  noise  from  leathern 

lungs  out-belching. 
The  shadows  of  the  night  descend  on  Jack  re 

cumbent,  bellowing,  his  pate  with  gore  be 

smeared. 
I  love  his  cowardice  because  it  is  an  attribute, 

just   like  Job's   patience  or  Solomon's  wis 

dom,  and  I  love  attributes. 
Whoop  !  !  ! 


CHARGES  BATTEI^  LOOMIS, 

In  N.  Y.   Independent. 


105 


JACK  AND  JILL 

AS     IT     MIGHT     HAVE     BEEN    WRITTEN    BY 

AUSTIN    DOBSON. 


Their  pail  they  did  fill, 

In  a  crystalline  springlet, 
Brave  Jack  and  fair  Jill, 
Their  pail  they  did  fill, 
At  the  top  of  the  hill, 

Then  she  gave  him  a  ringlet. 
Their  pail  they  did  fill 

In  a  crystalline  springlet. 

:):  :£  :£  :«:  :): 

They  stumbled  and  fell, 

And  poor  Jack  broke  his  forehead. 
Oh,  how  he  did  yell! 
They  stumbled  and  fell, 
And  went  down  pell-mell. 

By  Jove !  it  was  horrid. 
They  stumbled  and  fell, 

And  poor  Jack  broke  his  forehead. 

CHARLES  BATTEU*  LOOMIS, 

In  N.  Y.  Independent. 

106 


JACK  AND  JILL 


AS     IT     MIGHT     HAVE     BEEN    WRITTEN     BY 


ALGERNON    SWINBURNE. 


The  shuddering  sheet  of  rain  athwart  the  trees! 
The  crashing  kiss  of  lightning  on  the  seas ! 

The  moan  of  the  moist  night-wind  on  the  wold, 
That  erstwhile  was  a  gentle,  murmuring  breeze ! 
On  such  a  night  as. this  went  Jill  and  Jack, 
With  strong  and  sturdy  strides,  through  dampness  black, 

To  find  the  hill's  high  top  and  water  cold, 
Then  toiling  through  the  town  to  bear  it  back. 


107 


The  water  drawn,  they  rest  awhile.     Sweet  sips 
Of  nectar  then  for  Jack  from  Jill's  red  lips, 

And  then,  with  arms  entwined,  they  homeward  go; 
Till  mid  the  mad  mud's  moistened  mush  Jack  slips. 
Sweet  heaven,  draw  a  veil  on  his  sad  plight, 
His  crazed  cries  and  cranium  cracked;  the  fright 

Of  gentle  Jill,  her  wretchedness  and  wo! 
Kind  Phoebus,  drive  thy  steeds  and  end  this  night! 

CHARGES  BATTELI,  L,OOMIS, 

In  N.  Y.   Independent. 


108 


JACK  AND  JILL 

AS    TOM    HOOD    WROTE    IT 

IN     TWO     LANGUAGES. 


Jackus  et  Jilla,  ille  et  ilia, 

Fetcliere  aquam,  went  up  the  hill. 

Sed  cecidit  Jackus,  cui  capnt  est  crackus, 
Et  Jilla,  et  situla,  met  with  a  spill. 

TOM  HOOD'S  ALMANAC,  1842. 


109 


no 


THE    PRESS    OF 

THE    \VM.     M.     LANGTON    COMPANY 
SAX    FRANCISCO 

1891 


P5M39 
B85J3 


